Figure 1 Eagles fans have welcomed Barkley with open arms

One of the most exciting players currently in the NFL, Saquon Barkley signed a multi-million deal in the offseason with the Philadelphia Eagles. Leaving the New York Giants behind, the pro athlete has started the new season off in devastating style and has already started proving to Eagles fans that he was worth all that money.

Barkley is now looking forward to making a real name for himself in the City of Brotherly Love and will be hoping to be the missing part of the puzzle that takes Philadelphia back to the Super Bowl. The Eagles have only ever won one and lost on their most recent attempt in 2022.

All the best sportsbook websites will have Philadelphia as one of the favorites to be in New Orleans at the beginning of February next year – and for Barkley to be an important player on its roster. But how has he arrived at this point? Where is he from? And just how wealthy is Saquon Barkley?

Early Life

Saquon Rasel Quevis Barkley was born in the Bronx, New York on February 9, 1997. His father was a boxer, as was his uncle Iran Barkley, a former WBC middleweight champion. Saquon has three brothers and two sisters, with one of those brothers also becoming a pro sports athlete with the Los Angeles Angels Major League Baseball team.

When Saquon was just four the family moved to Pennsylvania in search of a safer environment to live and he eventually started playing football at a high school with a reputation for producing NFL players. Barkley also competed in track and field and basketball but, concentrating on football, he accepted an offer from Penn State.

Barkley won numerous awards while at Penn State and was named as an All-American as well as the Big Ten MVP twice. After three years of college football, Barkley decided to forego his senior year and make himself eligible for the 2018 NFL Draft. A top prospect, he was taken second overall by the New York Giants. He would be returning to his hometown to play pro football.

Pro Career

As one of the most eagerly anticipated players from the draft, Barkley signed a four-year rookie contract worth $31.2 million fully guaranteed. He immediately showed how talented he was, scoring a touchdown in the season opener. He finished the season with 15 TDs, both rushing and receiving, and was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He also made the PFWA All-Rookie Team and made it to the Pro Bowl.

Barkley was so important to the Giants team that he was named as one of the seven captains in his second year, a feat rarely bestowed on someone so new to the league. He went on to have another successful season and was beginning to make Giants fans think about championships again.

But in his second game of the 2020 season, Barkley suffered an injury that would see him miss the rest of the campaign. Although he would come back the next year, it wasn’t until 2022 that he was able to get back to his very best. In fact, that year is his best to date so far, rushing for 1,312 yards, scoring 10 touchdowns and helping the Giants reach the playoffs. Those performances saw him make the Pro Bowl for a second time.

The Giants failed to make the postseason in 2023, even with the best efforts of Barkley and in March 2024, he signed a three-year $37.5 million contract with divisional rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. He has already started to show how much he enjoys his new surroundings, scoring three touchdowns on the opening game of the 2024 season.

Personal Life

Although Saquon Barkley likes to keep his personal life private, it is known that he has two children. Daughter Jada Clare was born in 2018, with a son – Saquon Jr. – following four years later.

Although he was born in New York City, Barkley spent the majority of his life in Pennsylvania and in 2018 state legislators voted to mark March 14 as “Saquon Barkley Day”. He and his family participated in a parade in the town that he grew up in. Eagles fans there will now be very happy that he is running out onto the field in Kelly green rather than New York blue.

Figure 2 Barkley has now left New York for Pennsylvania twice

Net Worth

Although the career of an NFL running back is relatively short, Barkley has now been in the league since 2018. His injuries have prevented him from becoming a superstar but he was always the best player on the Giants roster and he now has more opportunity for success – and wealth generation – as a Philadelphia Eagle.

Barkley signed that four-year $31.2 million deal when he was a rookie and has recently improved his income with a three-year $37.5 million deal with the Eagles. That included an $11.6 million signing-on bonus and comes with $26 million guaranteed. Barkley is not as prominent in the world of endorsement deals as other players of his stature but he does bring in some extra money that way.

As of the beginning of the 2024 NFL season, it is believed that Saquon Barkley has a net worth of around $32 million.